


Bring Him Back

by AsexualArchivist



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, He’s alright but he died, Resurrection Ritual, canon character death, idk I wrote a bunch of a stuff leading up to the resurrection idc if u skip it honestly, it just felt right to write it all, look I wrote this to cope, see y’all Thursday when this all becomes canon, they better revive his purple ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsexualArchivist/pseuds/AsexualArchivist
Summary: Caleb, Nott, and Beau rode into Huperdook at a breakneck pace, only slowing down enough to avoid trampling a couple gnomes, who shot curses at them as they passed. In front of Beau, draped inelegantly over the horse’s neck with his arms splayed, was the lifeless body of Mollymauk Tealeaf.Nobody wanted to think about how long he’d been dead. Nobody wanted to think about how far his soul had gotten from his body. Nobody wanted to think about it, but Caleb knew that they were. Their brows just as furrowed as his, their mouths turned down in tight frowns.He was beginning to worry that they wouldn’t even have a chance.





	Bring Him Back

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway this better be exactly what happens if Molly doesn’t come back I’ll Die  
> I haven’t read any other fic bc I’m big sad but I’m assuming this is about the 3692436th resurrection fic posted in the last couple days  
> This one has a happy ending just telling u that now cuz we all need that now

The Mighty Nein found themselves in Huperdook once more. The sun was setting; the night of partying was close to beginning. But none of the Nein were in a partying mood. Well, none of the remaining Nein.

Caleb, Nott, and Beau rode into Huperdook at a breakneck pace, only slowing down enough to avoid trampling a couple gnomes, who shot curses at them as they passed. In front of Beau, draped inelegantly over the horse’s neck with his arms splayed, was the lifeless body of Mollymauk Tealeaf.

Nobody wanted to think about how long he’d been dead. Nobody wanted to think about how far his soul had gotten from his body. Nobody wanted to think about it, but Caleb knew that they were. Their brows just as furrowed as his, their mouths turned down in tight frowns.

He was beginning to worry that they wouldn’t even have a chance.

Caleb didn’t know much about healing magic, and still less about necromancy. _Necromancy_ , he thought, shuddering. The fact that Molly was well and truly dead still hadn’t gotten through to him. Even the cold, still, bloody body threatening to slip off Beau’s horse seemed to be something else, some other empty thing that could not possibly be the lively purple tiefling that he had gotten to know over the past few weeks. There was no way. There was no way Molly was _dead_ -

Caleb stopped his thoughts in their tracks. Deep breath. Hold. Breathe out. They were going to fix this. They would find a way to fix this.

Stampeding through the city, the Nein soon found themselves back at the door of the Shuster residence. Beau made to jump off her horse, then thought better of it when Molly slumped against her, landing in a position that was awkward and unnatural. It didn’t matter, anyway, because Caleb was already off his horse and running to the door, rapping incessantly and praying to whatever gods he could think of that they were home, that they could help.

The door cracked. “Hello-“

“Sorry, we do not have time, we need your help, please,” Caleb said in a rush. “We are the Mighty Nein? Who helped you out of prison?”

The door opened the rest of the way, revealing Mr. Shuster and a few little ones peeking around a corner, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening. “Of- of course, how could I forget-“

“We need a cleric,” Caleb continued. He was gesticulating wildly, couldn’t seem to get his body to stay still. “Our friend, he- we thought that, you might know someone-“ Caleb was having trouble getting the words out; he realized his throat was tight with yet unshed tears. “He- he-“

“He’s dead,” Beau said flatly. Mr. Shuster’s eyes grew wide, then tight with sorrow. “We need a healer. A powerful one. Since you owe us a favor and all, we thought you could get us in touch with somebody.”

Mr. Shuster, eyeing the kids faces smushed up against the corner, quickly shooed them away. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

“I know you saved our lives, and our children’s lives,” he said, “and we are grateful. So, so much more grateful than we could ever express. And- and we would like to help you. Truly. It’s just-“

Caleb’s heart descended into his boots.

“-it’s just that this kind of ritual could get us killed. This is dangerous stuff, alright? If anyone finds out we told you anything-“ he shuddered, unable to finish the thought. “But... I do know a woman. A woman who could perform great acts of faith. I do not know how powerful this spell you want to perform is, but she is the strongest healer I know. If anyone can do it, she can.”

Caleb’s heart leaped up, up, up, into his chest, his throat, and flooded his brain with hope, with sick fear, with desperation.

“I- I am putting our lives in your hands, Mighty Nein.” He did a quick tally in his head, looking st the remaining members of the group. “Are you missing some others?”

The mood significantly worsened, if that were possible. “Yes,” Caleb finally said, trying not to let his voice crack on the single syllable. Mr. Shuster, apparently noticing the sudden pall cast over the group, changed the subject.

“There- there is a temple we visit on occasion, a secret temple. It’s whereabouts are a strictly guarded secret, but- I would prefer to not let our saviors die.” He offered a small smile, tense and tight.

Mr. Shuster gave them directions to a place on the other side of town, beneath an old warehouse that had long since fell into disrepair. “When you get there, ask for the Priestess and tell them that Shuster sent you. My name will be enough to allow you passage inside.”

Caleb, Beau and Nott all nodded violently, so desperate Caleb could practically feel it in the air.

“Thank you. Thank you. _Thank you_ ,” Caleb said, tears welling up in his eyes despite his efforts to suppress them. He clasped Mr. Shuster’s hand, surprising himself with the contact. Then they were off to bring their friend back from death itself.

***

The warehouse was just as rundown as Caleb had imagined it would be. Part of the roof was caved in, metal creaking in the wind. Frankly, it didn’t look like a place that could bring life.

Beau was struggling under Molly’s dead weight. Caleb offered to help, but Beau claimed that he would be worse than no help at all. “No offense,” she said, shrugging.

“Oh- _ja_ , I- _ja._ ”

Caleb took the lead, Nott clinging to his hand like a lifeline. She hadn’t said much since Molly had gone down- in fact, she hadn’t said anything at all since they arrived in Huperdook.

“It will be okay, Nott,” he said, patting her head. “He will be back.”

“I don’t- I don’t want to lose him,” she admitted, teary eyed. 

Caleb didn’t have anything to say to that, so he simply nodded as they entered the old warehouse.

They approached the door they were told to approach, and gave the knock they were told to knock. The door opened, and a male dwarf stared out at them suspiciously.

“Oi, can I help you lot?” He asked, scratching his beard. “Me an’ my mates were just-“

“We need to speak to the Priestess,” Caleb interrupted. “Shuster sent us.”

The dwarf stopped, then nodded. “Alright. If Shuster sent ya...” he motioned for them to come inside.

They were hustled through a huge room, then shown to a door off to the left. This led into a much smaller room, maybe an office in another life. There was one final door, which they all pushed through impatiently as they entered a room even larger than the first, impossibly so; it must have been created magically. There were altars to various gods that Caleb didn’t recognize, all lined up neatly along the walls. There were a handful of people praying at different altars, some offering up small gifts of fruit or wine, others simply offering prayers. Everyone in the room turned and looked at them with fear as they approached.

“Oi, these guys are with Shuster,” the dwarf said, and the sigh of relief that echoed through the room was palpable. People went back to their business, kneeling and bowing and doing whatever else religious people did. 

“Got some folks here lookin’ for ya, Priestess,” the dwarf said, and then left the room, probably to return to his post. Caleb followed the direction of his eyes as he addressed the Priestess.

At the front of the room, sitting in a plain wooden chair, was a gnome. She had dark brown skin, almost glowing with radiant light, and black hair as sleek and shiny as raven’s feathers. She smiled at them, and her smile was warm, inviting.

“I have heard about your kindness to the Shusters in their time of need,” the gnome said, soft and light. “And-“ she glanced at Molly’s body, dangling in Beau’s grasp bonelessly. “And it appears it might be time for us to return the favor, hmm?”

Nott stepped forward then. “Please, he- he’s important to us. And we’ll pay you whatever! I’ll give you- here, wait-“ and Nott started emptying her pockets, buttons and shiny stones and useless trinkets clattering to the ground. The Priestess held out her hand.

“No- it is alright, little one. I have the required components. I just ask that you repay us, one day, in kind- assist us in our time of need.”

Caleb wanted to cry right there and then. “I- do not know how to thank you-“

“Do not thank me yet,” she said gravely, “for this ritual is not a guaranteed success. Especially after a few days, the soul cannot always find its way back to its body. You three will help me.” Then the Priestess got up and retrieved a small mat, just big enough for a person to lay on, and placed it on the ground in front of her. She gestured for Beau to place Molly on the mat.

He looked so... wrong. Nothing about Molly should ever look this lifeless. He was full of life, full of love and hope and optimism- he shouldn’t be on the hard ground, frowning slightly in death, skin growing colder by the second. Nott leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of his chest. Peaceful. Wrong.

The Priestess brought out a pouch containing several diamonds, which she placed on Molly’s chest in a neat row. She sat down, clasping her hands together, and looked each of them in the eyes, slowly, in turn.

“Sometimes, the soul requires a little help to come back. It clings to what is familiar to it, to friends, treasured possessions, gifts from the heart.” The Priestess sighed, frowning. “If each of you offers something, something important to you or to him, it will help him find his way.”

“Does- does it have to be a physical object?” Asked Beau.

She shook her head. “No, if you can speak from the heart, he will hear. And if he hears, he can come back to you, if his soul is willing.”

“Wait- if it is _willing?_ ” Nott screeched. “Why wouldn’t it be? Why wouldn’t Molly want to come back to us?”

The Priestess smiled sadly. “There is much pain in this world, little one. Too much for some to bear, especially if they’ve seen what lies beyond.”

Nott’s eyes were shining with tears, but she nodded her understanding. The Priestess crossed her legs and put her hands on the corpse.

“Are you all ready?”

The three nodded shakily, exchanging worried glances. Caleb breathed. In. Out. They could fix this. They were fixing it. Right now.

The Priestess began the ritual. Molly’s skin glowed bright with divine magic, tracing his veins in gold. Caleb smiled; Molly would think it was beautiful, if he were here.

He would have to tell him about it when he got back.

The Priestess closed her eyes, humming softly to herself. A moment later, she looked at the three of them again.

“Now.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Beau scooted forward, placing her hand on Molly’s arm. She cleared her throat, then sniffed.

“Uh. Hey, uh, Molly- I’m- it’s me, Beau if you like, couldn’t tell, or- fuck, I’m- I’m sorry, I’m not good at this.” A breath. Calm crossed her face. “Uh, Molly. You remember, a couple days before, you know... this? We took watch together.” She sighed, and Caleb could see she was fighting back tears. “You- you showed me that game...” she fumbled in Molly’s pocket for a moment until she pulled out his tarot cards. “Here,” she said after rummaging through the deck for a moment. She laid a card down right next to the diamonds: The World.

“This- this is the card I got when we played that game,” Beau said. “You asked me about the best lie I ever told, and I told you anyway even though I won-“ she broke off with a forced laugh. “I don’t know why I’m saying all this, I’m just rambling. Here’s what I was trying to say: I have- another lie I gotta confess.” Another sigh. Beau slumped forward, hand clutching Molly’s with very un-Beau-like desperation.

“I guess it’s not really a lie. You really are a total asshole. Like. The absolute _worst_. You piss me off, _so_ much, _all_ the time.” Tears started to drip down her nose; she didn’t bother wiping them away, instead letting them plop onto Molly’s tattered coat. 

“But- if I made it seem like I don’t like you- that I wish you weren’t here- that. That was a lie. Every time I acted like I didn’t like you was me _lying_ to myself. Because the truth is? I love you, Mollymauk. Uh, not in that way! Gross!” She added quickly, apprehending Molly’s comment before remembering he wasn’t there to make it. “I mean- Molly. You’re like my family. No- you guys _are_ my new family. And it’s been so long since I’ve-“ she couldn’t hold back her sobs anymore, “-since I’ve had a good family. And now Jester and Fjord and Yasha are gone, and, and now you’re gone- I can’t lose my family! Not when I just realized I had one!”

Caleb and Nott stared in teary-eyed silence as Beau composed herself. After a few final sniffs, she nodded. “Alright. Alright, you _asshole_ , now that I’ve made a complete idiot of myself, you can come on back. Okay?”

Then she shuffled back to her seat and sat back on her legs, hands intertwined tightly.

Caleb and Nott shared a glance, before she shuffled over to Molly’s body. She didn’t waste any time before she launched into her speech.

“I don’t really have much to offer... except a drink. And a little chat, maybe, while we drink.”

Nott took out her flask and poured a little into Molly’s mouth. A bit dribbled down the side of his face, and Caleb wanted so badly for Molly’s arm to move and wipe it away.

“You told me, once, to only steal from grumpy people.” Nott sat with her back to him, hands close but not touching, maybe because she was too afraid to feel how cold they had grown. “I know you were trying to simplify it for me. And I did know what you meant: steal from people who can afford to lose it.”

Nott paused for breath, then scooted up her legs until her arms could be wrapped around then,then rested her chin on top.

“I feel like you don’t get me, and that’s okay. Because I don’t get me either, sometimes. You don’t get me, but you don’t mind it at all. You don’t _care_ that I have to steal. You don’t hate me for it, or for how I look. What I am.”

She still stared straight forward, looking past Caleb and Beau at some point on the opposite wall, far away. 

“With you, there were some times, for only a few seconds, where I felt like I could be... I could be like this forever. A goblin. I could be this and it wouldn’t matter because I would have _friends_ who cared about me. Friends who got to know me before turning away in revulsion.” Finally, the tears started coming, and Nott’s words became harder and harder to make out through her sobs.

“M-Molly, you’re annoying, and- and obnoxious, but- you are my f-friend. My good friend. And- I know, that- that you might not want to-to come back, because living s-sucks sometimes, but. Molly. We- we need you.”

Nott rummaged in her bag for one last thing: a vial of acid. She placed it carefully in the crook of his elbow.

“Remember that talk we had that night, when I was looking through Fjord’s stuff? Here’s something to remind you. Now- p-please come back.” She smiled at him, wobbly and watery. Then she sat back as well, crying loudly.

And Caleb knew then that it was his turn.

He didn’t feel truly there as he knelt before Molly’s- Molly’s _corpse_. His mind was off floating to the side, watching the scene, still disbelieving. Caleb shook his head and came back to himself. Time for that later.

“Mollymauk...” he began. “There is so much about me you do not know. So many secrets... I would like to tell you, when you get back. You deserve to know. And- I want you to know. I want you to know me.” He took a breath, slow and deliberate, forcing his mind to stay squarely in his body.

Then he leaned forward, and slapped Molly across the face. 

“Caleb-“ Beau started, but Caleb waved a hand at her. He looked back and Molly’s face, flopped to the side, offering absolutely no resistance to Caleb’s pathetic smack.

“Mr. Mollymauk,” he continued, wanting to smile but finding that the muscles in his face would not comply, “you brought me back, once, from someplace far away. Now, I believe you are even further than I was. So I need to bring you back. Because-“ and here is where Caleb lost his nerve, stumbling over ideas and half-formed thoughts as they tumbled out of his mouth, “-because, I- I would like to think that, we, might be- something-“

What was he trying to say? That he- that he _loved_ this man? This ridiculous, gaudy, beautiful man? Not the time. Not the place. Later. Time for that later.

“We are friends, now. And it has been a- a long time since I have had friends. And I do not deserve you back- I deserve to be alone, but- you do not deserve to die, Mr. Mollymauk. You are the kindest man I have ever known.” Tears we’re sliding down Caleb’s face, and he didn’t know how long that had been the case.

“So- I would really appreciate it if you came back. Not for my sake, but for the others- for Yasha, Jester, and Fjord, when we get them back. For Beauregard, your- your sister. For Nott- your friend. And for you.”

Then Caleb leaned forward and kissed Mollymauk on the forehead, just like Molly had done for him way back in the mineshaft when they had fought those gnolls. 

“Come back, please.”

Then Caleb put his hand in his pocket and carefully pulled out his diamond he used for casting spells, and placed it the crook of Molly’s arm next to the acid.

“I can always buy another diamond,” Caleb explained. “But I cannot buy another Mollymauk. So if this will help, please take it. Please. Please.”

And he shuffled back to join the others. None of them said anything, but a moment later Caleb grabbed Nott’s offered hand, and then grabbed Beau’s with his other hand. Beau held tightly enough to break bones.

Silence, for a moment. The Priestess sat with brow furrowed for a moment, then smiled.

There was a breath in. A breath out.

Then Molly opened his eyes.

“Ugh, Moonweaver I’m sore. What in the nine hells happened last night?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading hope y’all survive the suspense for this week <3  
> Hmu on tumblr at gayacecaleb if you wanna cry abt this purple asshole with me


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